Guitar Center is once again undertaking its “Round Up Your Change” fundraising initiative via retail store and online operations from November 21 through December 26 (2021), offering customers the option of donating to The Guitar Center Music Foundation (GCMF), a non-profit organization focused on granting musical instruments and equipment to music education and music therapy programs by rounding up their purchases to the nearest dollar.
New this year, on “GivingTuesday,” November 30, Guitar Center made customers’ donations go even further in announcing the matching of every round-up donation made that day, up to $500,000.
Wayne Colwell, Guitar Center EVP, Store Operations, states, “As part of our ongoing support of music programs around the country, we launched our ‘Round Up Your Change’ program with The Guitar Center Music Foundation in 2020 to tremendous success. We look forward to continuing this initiative during the 2021 Holiday season as people are still finding it in their hearts to reach into their pockets to support music education and music therapy. Guitar Center customers are loyal and generous, and they place a high value on music education, so we anticipate a highly successful Holiday ‘Round Up’ campaign.”
In 2020, GCMF received nearly $350,000 in funding that resulted in 3,500-plus instruments getting into the hands of aspiring players, along with supporting musicians and programs impacted by the pandemic. In 2021, GCMF is on target to surpass that amount thanks in part to Guitar Center’s “Round Up Your Change” program.
Myka Miller, Executive Director of The Guitar Center Music Foundation, says, “Guitar Center’s previous ‘Round Up Your Change’ initiatives have been a huge success, generating thousands of dollars for the Foundation that we have been able to quickly turn around into instruments provided to programs in need. The pandemic continues to be a driver of economic hardship, and many music programs have been hit particularly hard. We look forward to further successes with the 2021 Holiday ‘Round Up Your Change’ program to serve our communities.”
Music programs in need that would like to be considered for a grant from the Guitar Center Music Foundation can find out more here.